red tail catfish in cold pond help
- Thread starter cubanboy1538
- Start date
There are only 2 answers to this where both the RTC and the OP survive the winter. 1) Find a pond (stock pond would work) and put the RTC in the house/garage/basement. This way you can keep him at a minimum of 70 degrees, and your parents don't skin you for a $1,000 electric or gas bill. 2) Find that RTC a new home.
i talkd to my dad about the cost of electricity and said we culd use a propane heater with the electic one, but he said that it not expensive at all to run the 11kw heater (u have to remember that i oversized so that the heater wont work as hard and wont break down as easy). so i looked into and he was right, electricity is alot chearper where i live... i guess it was one of the reasons we moved here ahaha . here is an idea of the prices (i live in the NW part of southcarolina in the yellow) 
I ran some numbers as to what you can expect to see on your utility bill based on a few different scenarios.
Assumption: $0.09Kwh electical utility rate
In the first row, if the heater is only on for 6 hours a day, your monthly bill would be $178.20.
In the last row, if the heater is on for 16 hours per day, your monthly bill would be $475.20.
I have no idea how often the heater would cycle, so your actual bill may fall outside of the hypothetical scenarios that I ran.
If you decide to go through with heating the pond through the winter, I am very curious to see what you electric bill looks like this winter. Please keep us posted.
PS- Your chart is a little deceiving in that my electricity rate in Bay Area CA starts at $0.11Kwh, but it jumps to $0.34Kwh pretty quickly (Our system is tiered in that usage above 600Kwh/month is billed at $0.34). So in reality, the Bay Area should be black (very expensive relative to the rest of the country).
Assumption: $0.09Kwh electical utility rate
In the first row, if the heater is only on for 6 hours a day, your monthly bill would be $178.20.
In the last row, if the heater is on for 16 hours per day, your monthly bill would be $475.20.
I have no idea how often the heater would cycle, so your actual bill may fall outside of the hypothetical scenarios that I ran.
If you decide to go through with heating the pond through the winter, I am very curious to see what you electric bill looks like this winter. Please keep us posted.
PS- Your chart is a little deceiving in that my electricity rate in Bay Area CA starts at $0.11Kwh, but it jumps to $0.34Kwh pretty quickly (Our system is tiered in that usage above 600Kwh/month is billed at $0.34). So in reality, the Bay Area should be black (very expensive relative to the rest of the country).
interesting. well sorry to tell you but i won't be heating the pond. i am bringing monte inside for the winter since it's cheaper. but mayb next yr because he is growing extremly fast
Think we coud re-answer this question but for southern texas instead? Temps typically get to 36ish for a week or so, and are below 60 for 2-3 months. Any ideas on how to heat my 5,500g pond for tropical fish?
Don't be sorry at all...I think you are making a smart move. Heating that much water when it gets so cold is really expensive. My concern with keeping him outside is if your heaters fail during a cold night (even just for a little while) Monte would be toast. Keeping him indoors is definitely the best idea. If you can build a large pond in your basement, that would be best.
If you want to maintain 5,500 gallons at tropical temps when the ambient air temperature drops down into the 30s, be prepared to spend some serious money. Based on this calculator (http://www.heatingyourpond.com/submersible-heaters.html) you would need almost 29,000 watts (28.7Kw) to maintain 5,500 gallons at 78 degrees F. Basically multiply the numbers I ran for my fellow Cuban by 3 and that's what it would cost you to heat it in the winter (that's assuming you pay $0.09Kwh)
A cheaper alternative is using a natural gas heat exchanger. I don't have the links, but if you search the internet a bit you can find some interesting DIY jobs.
I have a 1000 gallon pond with an rtc, two id sharks, a pacu, a channel cat, tsn/rtc hybrid, and a clown knife should I bring these guys in for the winter or heat the pond. I live in central FL near Tampa and the lowest I've seen was about 40-50 degrees.
If both ends of the black roof pipe were at water-level then you wouldn't be lifting water against gravity, would you? Getting the pipe full of water to start would be a nightmare, admittedly. You'd want butterfly valves everywhere and some sort of air-vent at the peak.
Yes, the pipe would need to be (at least in part) pressure-capable- an agricultural irrigation tubing can do that, and for not too too much money.
All tolled, this would be very doable, i reckon. Particularly in a plastic greenhouse of tight styrofoam cover, at least for the nights.
And yes, even with full DIY you'd be into it for more money than a big stock-tank in the basement.
Yes, the pipe would need to be (at least in part) pressure-capable- an agricultural irrigation tubing can do that, and for not too too much money.
All tolled, this would be very doable, i reckon. Particularly in a plastic greenhouse of tight styrofoam cover, at least for the nights.
And yes, even with full DIY you'd be into it for more money than a big stock-tank in the basement.
OK! After reading this whole thread I have to butt in.
I can't believe that a group of expierienced fish keepers are trying to bolster this kids imagination. Like it has been said, his !!!PARENTS!!! will be doing all the work, AND spending all their hard earned coin to help keep Monte around. Speaking from expierience, you CAN fool your parents for a bit if you take the right steps. But eventually they catch on and either you start ponying up the bucks or your best friend needs a new home quick, fast, and in a hurry. Now when I joined this forum and posted in my welcome aboard post that I had an RTC, TSN, and a RTCxTSN, I got a boat load of criticism. Now I don't know where those guys are in all this, but they sure helped me get my head on straight and do all the proper research that is required when it comes to these big friends of ours. Now I guess I will be the bad guy!
Hey Cubanboy! It would be all fine and dandy if you could keep Monte in that huge pond of yours year round. Believe me, I wish I had a pond like that for my boys! Now what you have to think about is those winters when you bring him inside. Yea this winter will be fine. He's small, cute, easy to transport, and he only needs a small place to hang for a couple months. Now what about next year, if you are feeding him properly, when he is 2 or 3+ feet in length, very fast, and strong enough to smack you around a bit. Doesn't sound so easy any more huh! Do yourself a big favor, and Monte too. Do some research, Google some pictures, scower the threads other people have posted with expierience on these big guys. If you want to, shoot me an e-mail. ejheavey86@gmail.com
I am currently deployed so I wont be watching this thread to see what else is said.
After you do your research, sit down with your parents and share the facts and stories you have found. The you can all come up with a logical way to keep your big guy around, or get a head start on finding him a new home before you do harm to him, or in the worst case lose him. Best of luck, and hope to hear from ya!
I can't believe that a group of expierienced fish keepers are trying to bolster this kids imagination. Like it has been said, his !!!PARENTS!!! will be doing all the work, AND spending all their hard earned coin to help keep Monte around. Speaking from expierience, you CAN fool your parents for a bit if you take the right steps. But eventually they catch on and either you start ponying up the bucks or your best friend needs a new home quick, fast, and in a hurry. Now when I joined this forum and posted in my welcome aboard post that I had an RTC, TSN, and a RTCxTSN, I got a boat load of criticism. Now I don't know where those guys are in all this, but they sure helped me get my head on straight and do all the proper research that is required when it comes to these big friends of ours. Now I guess I will be the bad guy!
Hey Cubanboy! It would be all fine and dandy if you could keep Monte in that huge pond of yours year round. Believe me, I wish I had a pond like that for my boys! Now what you have to think about is those winters when you bring him inside. Yea this winter will be fine. He's small, cute, easy to transport, and he only needs a small place to hang for a couple months. Now what about next year, if you are feeding him properly, when he is 2 or 3+ feet in length, very fast, and strong enough to smack you around a bit. Doesn't sound so easy any more huh! Do yourself a big favor, and Monte too. Do some research, Google some pictures, scower the threads other people have posted with expierience on these big guys. If you want to, shoot me an e-mail. ejheavey86@gmail.com
I am currently deployed so I wont be watching this thread to see what else is said.
After you do your research, sit down with your parents and share the facts and stories you have found. The you can all come up with a logical way to keep your big guy around, or get a head start on finding him a new home before you do harm to him, or in the worst case lose him. Best of luck, and hope to hear from ya!
